Canadian Musician - September-October 2022 | Page 31

By Diane Foy

COLUMNS

How to Attract Fans , Media & Industry Part 1 : Authentic Personal Branding

Think about your favourite artists of all time . The ones that inspire you deep in your soul and maybe even motivated you to become an artist yourself . Why do you love them ?

You most likely appreciate them for more than their talent . It may be their personality , fashion sense , work ethic , values , or beliefs . When they share their vulnerability , struggles , and triumphs , you may see yourself in those stories .
The most successful artists don ’ t stress about competition because there is no competition . No one else possesses their exact combination of skills , experience , and personality . The same can be said for you ; however , most of us don ’ t take the time to explore and embrace who we really are and figure out what makes us unique .
During my 16 years in arts and entertainment publicity , the music and media industries have evolved significantly . An artist with new music is no longer enough to garner press coverage . I began to witness too many artists wasting money on PR , radio , and social media marketing campaigns before they were ready .
Artists didn ’ t take the time to do the deep inner work of personal branding so the lack of results left them frustrated and defeated .
Often , artists think that media attention is the key to attracting fans and industry when in reality it is the fans that need to come first . In order to attract loyal and engaged fans , artists need to embrace their authenticity , creativity , and purpose and then have the confidence to share it with their audience .
Personal branding is the key to success , and I realized that I could have a greater impact coaching artists through the process .
The Fans , Media & Industry Attraction Method As a multi-passionate creative , I love that I can draw on my photography , fashion , and makeup artistry experience one day and my creative psychology , PR , and marketing experience the next . With my unique combination of skills , experience and personality , I created the Fans , Media , and Industry Attraction Method that includes three key phases . 1 . Authentic Personal Branding 2 . Social Media Superfans 3 . Media Spotlight
Authentic Personal Branding Personal branding is the impression other people have of you and you have a brand , whether you control that impression or not . Your unique combination of skills , experience , and personality are the key to connecting with fans , media , and industry .
Turn Dreams into Action Plans Gain clarity on your desired future vision and goals . Your future vision is the destination that you want to reach . Breaking the vision down into actionable goals provides the directions to get there .
Tap into Unstoppable Motivation What is your why ? Why are you pursuing a career in the arts ? When you can articulate why you do what you do and why you want what you want , your life ’ s purpose becomes clear . Your purpose then motivates you to achieve your goals . It helps you keep going when the inevitable obstacles and setbacks come up . While many others give up , you will have the drive to get back on track no matter what happens .
Take a Stand : Core Values & Beliefs Your core values and beliefs represent what is most important to you . Your core values become the guiding principles on which you base all your decisions . We all have limiting beliefs that hold us back from putting ourselves out there . It is important to address them and replace them with empowering beliefs .
Express Your Personality Understanding your personality type can help you know which situations allow you to perform your best . There are various personality models to explore including the big five OCEAN , Myers Briggs , and enneagram models .
Tell Your Unique Story What life experiences have shaped who you are ? Telling your story with all its challenges , mistakes , failures , pain , and vulnerability along with the passion , happiness , and successes is your strongest asset to authentically attract and connect with an engaged audience .
Express Yourself with Colour Colour psychology studies the effect each colour has on human behaviour . The colours you choose should reflect your personality , values , and artist identity . Use your brand colours in marketing materials and on social media platforms .
What are the best colours and shades for your skin tone ? It is important to know what colours bring out your best features . Aligning your best colours with your brand colours can have a strong impact .
Turn Heads with Your Image Often your image is the first impression anyone has of you . It can be the deciding factor on if someone even wants to press play on your music . An investment in your appearance can improve your selfconfidence . Expressing your personality through your image gives you a unique edge in a crowded market place .
Competitive Edge From the exploration you have done so far it will be easier to research other artists in your genre and clearly see what makes you different . What is your unique combination of skills , experience , and personality ? Discovering , appreciating , and cultivating your skills and strengths gives you the confidence to push yourself to make the impact you want to make and receive the rewards you desire .
To read what comes next in phase two ( Social Media Superfans ) and phase three ( Media Spotlight ), download the free Fans , Media , & Industry Attraction Playbook at www . dianefoy . com / freebie .
Diane Foy is a personal branding and PR coach for multi-passionate artists . During her 16 years as an arts and entertainment publicist , Diane represented talents such as Perry Farrell , Big Sugar , D . O . A ., Sass Jordan , Dearly Beloved , and Mackenzie Phillips . She has been a panelist and mentor at major conferences and has been featured in over 30 media outlets . Diane also hosts the Multi-Passionate Artists podcast . www . dianefoy . com / @ dianefoyarts
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